CELEBRITY
Exclusive- Want to invest in Taylor Swift and Beyoncé? Now you can.
A new music investing startup called JKBX lets fans share in their favorite musicians’ success by allowing people to buy securities whose value derives from an artist’s streaming royalties.
For examples, investors can invest in songs such as Beyoncé’s 2009 hit “Halo,” Adele’s “Rumour Has it,” and Taylor Swift’s “Welcome to New York,” among others.
“Every time you hear a song, somebody’s getting paid. That somebody could be you,” the company says on its website.
For now investors can purchase, but not sell, shares via JKBX. The company makes money by charging a transaction fee when customers buy stock.
Streaming royalties can contribute enormously to musicians’ wealth. For example, Swift is estimated to have earned $175 million through her contracts with music streamers including Apple Music, Spotify and others, according to Bloomberg.
Every time a song is played on a streaming platform, as well as in a movie or television show, it generates earnings for the rights owner. JKBX is letting the general public get a slice of that income stream. Still, the returns aren’t astronomical, and other types of investments offer better returns.